Baken, the world’s first all-bacon snack brand, was recently recognized as one of the winners of 2024 Katha Awards for its Real Bacon Crisps product.

The Katha Awards for Food honors newly developed Philippine food products and applications that demonstrate exceptional packaging design, product innovation, and market demand and readiness. Real Bacon Crisps was given the distinction of being a Katha awardee in the Meat, Poultry, and Dairy Products category for being an export-quality, fresh, and innovative product. 

According to Baken Founder and CEO Rachel Carrasco, the company’s products are made with 100% real bacon and no artificial substitutes. Baken’s unique snacks are artworks in themselves – coming in an undeniably crisp form with a smoky, mouthwatering flavor – the result of a distinct and meticulous creation process unique to the brand.

The gourmet snack is made with a premium, select cut of pork that meets a rigorous fat-to-meat ratio and precise baking temperature standards. Each strip is carefully monitored to be perfect in appearance and size. 

The pork itself is brined with seasonings and spices to lock flavor and moisture into the meat. It is then cured and smoked to add a unique taste and color; and finally, it is sliced, baked, and dusted with a secret spice mix. This process turns it into ready-to-eat and boldly-flavored crispy bacon strips, which sets it apart from the typical bacon jerky, pork rinds, and bacon-flavored potato chips in the market.

Singapore-based entrepreneur Carrasco said that the premium, all-bacon snack and confectionery line was born from her “obsession with bacon.” Growing up in the Philippines, she was raised in the local culture’s love for all things pork and the spirit of indulgence – as easily observed during the town fiestas when people feast and celebrate without limits. 

As she indulged in eating crispy, crunchy bacon “all the time,” she made it one of her life’s missions to create a bacon snack company that offers consumers pure indulgence.”At Baken, we believe snack time is sacred and that it should be defined by the sheer joy of eating something you love,” the driven businesswoman shares.

Baken is a Filipino brand not only because it was founded based on the country’s love for pork, but also because the product is made by real people who have a passion for real meat– all highly skilled Filipinos from food technicians and R&D (research and development), to the company’s front-line team members.

After four years of hands-on experimentation and consumer testing, Carrasco came up with three deliciously quirky products: Real Bacon Crisps, Bacon Cookies, and Bacon Jam. Real Bacon Crisps is the company’s flagship product that Carrasco first envisioned on her quest for snack supremacy – not bacon-flavored chips, but ready-to-eat, real bacon strips with a satisfying crunch that can be enjoyed as is or as add-ons to snacks and meals. Now in its fifth year, Baken has begun a concentrated effort in commercialization and marketing.

The Katha Awards are organized by the The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotions arm of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in order to honor the food entrepreneurs and innovators who are shaping the food industry. CITEM noted that it has undertaken rigid measures to determine the most outstanding products among the nominees. 

“These export-quality products are held to certain standards that CITEM has put in place for several years. Out of 79 products submitted for evaluation, 21 made it to the final screening and only nine (9) emerged as the creme dela creme, meticulously selected by luminaries who are all well-respected within the food community,” CITEM Deputy Executive Director Ma. Lourdes Mediran said in a recent statement.

Baken joined other Katha Award Winners in featuring their products at IFEX. Currently, Baken is available in major outlets in the Philippines such as One World Deli, Landers, Brera, Terry’s Selection, The Seven Pantry, LazMall and many more. You can also visit their online store, shopbaken.com, with available shipping to Australia, Singapore and the Philippines. 

Baken’s win in the Katha Awards opens a platform for export markets. Watch out for Baken’s availability in export markets soon.